We’ve all said or been told some variation of this, right? Okay. Cool.

Personally, I don’t mind people recommending stuff to me, although I find that measured enthusiasm works best: if you’re overzealous, you risk hyping a thing up to the point where expectations are set wayyy too high for enjoyment to actually ensue. Or if you’re faced with someone who’s SUPER EXCITED about a thing, you might find your excitement levels ratcheting up along with theirs…but your own moderate anticipation might get killed off in the face of such evangelical zeal.

Basically: excitement is like a rum chocolate soufflé. If you don’t warm it up right, it doesn’t rise.

Or maybe my emotions are just delicate and temperamental. WHO KNOWS.

Anyway, however your excitement manifests itself, there’s probably a thing that you tend to recommend to everyone you meet. As usual: TV, book, comic, movie, game, whatever. It’s kind of noble, in a way: said thing enabled hours (perhaps even days) of enjoyment on your part, so now you want other people to have their lives enriched by it as well! Then you’ll get to vicariously relive your discovery of the thing through them, as they witness all the amazing storytelling twists and turns that got you so gripped: but will Don ever stop his womanizing ways? But will the ponies always harness the power of magical friendship? But will Elric actually destroy Imrryr? But will this Game of Thrones character actually die? (pardon me while I laugh a hearty cynical laugh)

So. What thing do you end up reccing to everyone you meet? Let us know!

I really like recommending stuff but I think you have to tailor it more based on what the other person likes rather than what you like for a successful recommendation.

There are some cultural touch stones that I think everyone should really see like Star Wars but beyond that I don’t really have a lot of must recommends other than if you like X you should check out Y,

Pia Dhaliwal

That’s a very sensible approach! I’m sure I have friends who are like that but the ones who tend to be all, “I like this and you NEED to experience it!” are more prominent in my memory. Can’t imagine why!

To be honest, your approach is one I tend to take as well…sort of. That said, I make a lot of book recs to various folk, and the one book I would literally recommend to anyone – regardless of their literary tastes – is Gone Girl. It’s not that I imagine every single person I know will definitely love it as much as I do, but I think it’s a book that’s accessible and gripping regardless of usual literary tastes, including people who don’t tend to read much!

Yasminda Hall

One of my best friends made me watch Veronica Mars and I had to agree I really enjoyed it but not for the same reasons she did lol. I admit to being an avid endorser of Harry Potter books! As an adult and a parent, people tend to give me odd looks when I say you really need to read the books but I don’t care. HP is amazing and if they haven’t read it already they really should. Besides, if their kids are reading it they should read it too. That way they have something to talk about

Pia Dhaliwal

I am now very intrigued as to what your reasons were for enjoying VMars and how they differed from your friend’s! Because as you can probably tell with my super subtle banner, I loooooove me some Veronica Mars.

Do people really give you odd looks when you say you like Harry Potter?? I really can’t imagine that! It’s such a cultural touchstone now that I really don’t see how anyone feels they ~shouldn’t~ read it or that it’s ~too strange~ to do so. Do we not live in a post-embarrassment-about-Potter age?? My mind, it is…somewhat blown!

Amanda Wysocki

The ones I always recommend without fail are The West Wing, Veronica Mars, Friday Night Lights, and the Harry Potter books. Outside of that, I tailor it to the individual person.

Pia Dhaliwal

I’ve never watched Friday Night Lights, but this seems like a solid lineup!

Also I’m just really pleased about how many people are including Veronica Mars… #validation